


find your path and follow it to the moon

by BlueFairyKino



Series: Protectors of Curiosity [1]
Category: Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan, Etrian Odyssey Series
Genre: Multi, and yep! that's an original class tag there, prologue to like the actual story, so gotta have a new special one, this is like a fanmade story mode, this is partly to get the series up tbh fgbkfd
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-06
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2020-11-25 16:29:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20915108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueFairyKino/pseuds/BlueFairyKino
Summary: It was a single night, and a single moon, that they all gazed upon then.It was that very moon, shining so softly above them, that sealed their fates together.





	1. a knight, ever at aid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the moon shining overhead, a knight accepts a task and makes a promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH FUK HERE WE GO
> 
> sooooo in my head, my eo4 and eou stories take place abouuut the same time. a legit timeline is still in progress but also i'll be honest i just rly rly wanted to write this one BKGHDFDF
> 
> buuut yeah! this lil thing is meant to be an introduction of the characters (and uh. also. a way for me to. yknow. actually get the series set up). the journey through yggdrasil will be its own other fic, that'll be posted sometime after this is complete sooooo look forward to that~

It was in the night, when civilians were fast asleep and explorers were either joining them or still out doing their duties, that Edrie Lamber was unexpectedly called to the Grand Court.

It wasn't like it was unusual as a _whole_; the Outland Count was _always_ summoning explorers for one reason or another, in regards to the journey to Yggdrasil as well as other purposes. It _was_, however, the first time _she _was called there, which was the unexpected part. She _was _a bit well known among explorers, being a Fortress-for-hire, but for the Count himself to both notice and call upon her?

Well, needless to say, she was _fairly_ interested in what he wanted. Which was answered with a piece of paper...a letter, it seemed like.

"...the empress of Ezshari?"

"The lake country to the east. I'm assuming you've heard of it?" Edrie nodded, and the Count continued. "I received this letter a _while_ ago, to be truly honest. It's the first of _many_ I've been exchanging with Her Majesty. She wishes to keep in a bit on the down-low, for _quite_ obvious reasons, but the general idea is that she wishes to explore the forests and aid with the journey to Yggdrasil."

The Fortress read over the letter a second time. "I am admittedly quite _surprised_...while they are not necessarily _isolated_ or anything of the sort, Ezshari's people _tend_ to keep to themselves."

"True, true. Her Majesty has not really given an up front reason as to _why_ she is coming, but it seems to be a bit of a personal matter. What I do know is that she is only being accompanied by _one_ of her own aides, and no one more. So she's requested _at least_ one fellow explorer to accompany her as extra protection."

"And...you chose me?"

A gentle smile and a nod. "You're _very_ well known among the community of explorers here, Miss Lamber. I've overheard _many_ positive things about you. Therefore, I believe you to be the _perfect_ candidate for Her Majesty's request."

It was...quite the shock, to say the least. Another job in the end, yes, but for an _empress_? Quite some big responsibilities, there.

And yet, as the moonbeams shining through the window illuminated the paper in front of her, something about this felt..._right_. As if it was fate at work here, tying her own destiny with the empress and this aide she was coming with.

"...alright then." Edrie looked up with a smile. "I'll accept this job. When is she to arrive?"

"In the next few days, if her most recent letter is of any indication. I'll have the Guildmaster summon you when she does."

"Understood."

When Edrie left the court, mind already fixated on how to prepare for this mission, her eyes drifted up to the moon...then to Yggdrasil, glowing in the distance.

"Ezshari, hmm..."

She'd _definitely _heard of the country's warriors before. It was even stated that the empress herself was _incredibly_ competent in regards to combat, and that her aides were all trained especially for the sake of protecting and assisting her.

_This ought to be quite interesting...that, at the least, is very much certain._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> edrie appearance here:  
https://file.toyhou.se/images/12417968_mkYPg2Q9vEIfwNK.png


	2. a mage and healer, caring for each other

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the moon shining through the window, a mage and a healer prepare for a new day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't expect regular updates like this forever cuz it. won't happen. trust me. i just got a LOT of muse for these guys rn
> 
> i'm esp gonna love writing this duo's dynamic bc!!! they're surviving together and takin care of each other!!! they're like siblings and i love them

On that night, with the streets quiet, Bianca Edith Estelle and Allan Osyllbury found themselves the only ones awake in...probably the whole neighborhood, really.

In hindsight, _maybe_ running a tiny clinic out of a small abandoned cottage in the back of the city _was not_, in fact, the _best_ plan to raise funds. If anything, Bianca found it boring; simply sitting at her desk, writing down mixture combinations and logging herbs all day..._really_ wasn't the most fun way to spend her time.

So, instead, she was sitting there, thinking up a certain plan.

"...um...Bianca?"

The girl perked up, and quickly glanced over to the doorway, where Allan was standing.

"...why're you in your PJs?"

"...b-because...it's really late."

A pause. She looked up. She looked to the window, where the sky had darkened and the moon was shining bright in the sky.

"...crud, have I seriously been-" Bianca _jolted_, as if shocked, and swerved around. "Wait, Allan, did you-"

"I-I-I ate dinner!" It wasn't exactly _much_, just some leftover scraps of meat and carrots that he'd found stored away, but he'd keep that to himself. "I m-mostly came here to ask if you w-wa...wa...if you w-wanted anything."

...well, that was _one _concern alleviated. "I'll be fine, I've been eating small stuff throughout the day."

A soft hum, and then Allan was pattering over, curiously looking at the papers on the girl's desk. "So, um...w-what are you doing, anyway?"

Lips now turned into a sly smile, Bianca looked down at her handiwork.

"Just a lil' way for us to sneak on into the mines."

Allan nearly _recoiled_ at that, staring up at her with a shocked gaze. "What?! Bianca, you...you know how s-se...how s-seriously the guards are keeping w-w...watch there! It's w-way too risky! And be...b...besides, there's only two of us..."

"That's _precisely _why I'm making detailed plans like this, Allan. Gotta have _some_ way to get in there and grab whatever sorta mats they've got. More stuff to work with means more business, which means we actually get to _eat_." Her smile turned gentler, and she moved her hand up to ruffle the kid's hair. "Besides, with _your_ magic skills and _my_ healing expertise? We'll be _fiiiine_. Like a real, genuine guild!"

"..mmm..." He leaned against her, looking only _slightly _less unsure of the whole idea. "If you s-say so..."

The moon's rays shone on the desk from outside the window, illuminating the papers detailing Bianca's little plan. And while her thoughts were filled with excitement...Allan still couldn't help his small feelings of dread.

_This is meant to happen, I just know it!_

_...I hope it all turns out ok..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> allan's appearance:  
https://file.toyhou.se/images/12418032_Iam4WiKR1wUal3U.png
> 
> bianca's appearance:  
https://file.toyhou.se/images/12418079_5OF8tmpmbHJ1lMw.png


	3. an assassin, lying in wait

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the moon sitting in the distance, an assassin waits for multiple things to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok listen i try not to pick favorites but what i have planned for this guy's whole story and character arc is SO GOOD and i just love him ok
> 
> and he loves kirjonen. yes they are together and yes they are a v adorable sappy couple at times

...they were calling him.

Not in a _literal_ sense, of course. But that night, looking out of the living room window, Tiphos Kaladhati could feel..._something_. Some sort of force, _beckoning _to him, from both the bright full moon and the distant Yggdrasil.

It was something he couldn't explain. 'Signals', as Kirjonen had come to call them and as he had soon picked up, happened a _lot_. In fact, the _whole reason_ the Nightseeker was in Tharsis in the first place was because he felt a Signal from the town itself.

It was up to him to figure out _exactly _what they meant, though. The Signals simply drew him to things, they never explained _why_ they were doing so.

And with this...perhaps it could be linked to those odd dreams he'd been having recently. Of him, in an unfamiliar location, fighting alongside both his close allies and people he'd never seen before.

"...Tiphos?"

The call of his name seemed to go through one ear and out the other. As he always did when this happened, Tiphos's senses were all _directly_ focused on the two Signals calling out to him at the moment, and he didn't move a _muscle_, let alone respond to any words direct to him.

He only came out of it when a finger gently tapped at his shoulder. He blinked for a moment as he slowly began to register the world around him, and turned to see a familiar face looking at him in concern. "...Kiran? What is it?"

"You were spacing out. Was it...?"

A nod. "Two."

Kirjonen tilted his head. "Not just from Yggdrasil this time?"

"No." And with that, he pointed out the window, towards the moon. "This one feels different, though. Not a call to go to it, but...there's still something it's trying to tell me."

The Fortress by his side let out a soft hum, then settled in next to Tiphos, allowing him to rest his head against his shoulder. "Do you think it might have something to do with those reoccurring dreams of yours?"

"...maybe."

It was always frustrating when he couldn't figure out what a Signal meant. Especially now, since somehow this one seemed _especially _important. Those figures in his dreams were likely connected, yet...he'd never seen _anyone _like them in Tharsis before.

_If those two truly are connected to my fate somehow..._

_I suppose I have no choice but to wait._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tiphos appearance here:  
https://file.toyhou.se/images/12418122_hg2YDpjG6rThiKf.png
> 
> (his hair is actually a lot longer than it appears, he wraps it up in the scarf thing, it actually goes down to his knees)


	4. a dancer and an archer, in the midst of planning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the moon lingering above them, a dancer and an archer plan their next move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one is a bit short but like. its an update ok I'M DOING GOOD
> 
> admittedly these two are still kinda in development but guess what! i adore them anyways they're both wonderful

"Is it just me," Otafi Esan-aiti mumbled as she entered the room, "or has Tiphos shifted priorities lately?"

_Here we go again._

Already amused by the Sniper's most recent grumbling, Mailyse Daphmei turned to face her, a whimsical smile on her face. "You can't quite blame him, can you, Fi? Love has a habit of overtaking one's attention."

"His attention should be on the _job_, not on some unrelated party."

"He's still working on it, though, isn't he? He didn't quite leave us all to ourselves _quite_ yet." Mailyse chuckled. "C'mon, give the poor boy a break for once. He can both do his share of work _and _spend time with his beloved, can't he?"

Otafi glanced away before huffing. "_Fine_. As long as he keeps workin' with us."

The dancer giggled, before turning back to her book.

This was a fairly _common_ exchange. The three of them had come to Tharsis together, breaking off from the rest of their little mercenary band for the sake of a..._certain job_, but after a good while of being here and having little to no progress, along with Tiphos falling in love and spending a lot of time with Kirjonen, Otafi had a _lot _to complain about. Mailyse took it all in stride though.

They'd get the job done eventually, and that'd be that.

...

"...y'know, I overheard somethin'. When I was doin' my daily lil' snoop at the court."

"Oh?"

Otafi plopped next to her. "Apparently some _bigshot_ from that lake country is comin' over here."

"From Ezshari, hmm?" Mailyse hummed to herself. "Curious indeed. They have their own labyrinth and mysteries to solve, and tend to keep to themselves...I wonder why someone from _there_ would come all the way out _here_?"

"Beats me. All I heard was that they were comin', nothin' more. Not even exactly who it is, just that it's some important figure or somethin'. But if you ask me, considering _certain things_, it doesn't feel like a coincidence."

...

"...Fi." Mailyse suddenly got a serious look on her face. "Are you implying that whoever is coming might have something to do with the dreams Ti has been having as of late?"

The dreams of a shadowed duo. Fighting alongside them.

Otafi shrugged. "Maybe they do, maybe they don't, can't really say for sure without more info 'bout 'em. Either way, if we can identify 'em once they get here, maybe we should keep an eye on 'em."

"...indeed."

As the moon lingered through the window, bathing the room in its light, Mailyse pondered over the situation to herself, while Otafi felt full of resolve.

_I wonder...just who is to arrive from Ezshari? And what do they want from Tharsis?_

_...I ain't gonna let this job go unfinished. Bigshot from another country or no, nothin's gonna stop me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mailyse appearance:  
https://file.toyhou.se/images/12418179_AeuPbMeY6dxnBht.png
> 
> otafi appearance:  
https://file.toyhou.se/images/12418229_vR0wu3g29xkm1t8.png
> 
> (admittedly otafi's isn't 100% accurate but while dreamselfy is down i can't exactly redo it. i'll give details bout it eventually)


	5. a sorcerer, resting among friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the moon peeking in through the trees and the mist, a sorcerer shares a quiet moment with the forest, and the creatures which dwell within it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sweet boy...soft sweet child...i love edothise so much yall don't underSTAND

As he sat there, watching the moon peek through the leaves and listening to the soft blow of the wind, Edothise Lehtonen could _hardly_ understand why some seemed to believe that the monsters within the forest were no more than bloodthirsty beasts.

Monsters were _smart_. The strategies they seemed to form with each other in battle made that obvious enough. But it wasn't just fighting that that intelligence was used. Monsters held and understood _emotion_, in the ways that they would protect their young and occasionally aid other species in certain situations.

They had _compassion_, and _trust_. It just took a bit for one to be shown such.

With a soft smile, Edothise turned his gaze downward at the three small Great Lynx in his lap. They were all quite young, and the mother was likely still not too far. He felt _honored_, really, that she had decided he was trustworthy enough to watch over her kittens while she went hunting.

And the members of this little family weren't the _only_ ones who'd opened their hearts to the young Vessel. To his left, a few Forest Hares were lounging about, one leaning right up against his leg, and just a little ways away, a few Trip Mushrooms were fooling around, their movements somewhat reminiscent of a dance.

And, of course, there was the War Bison the boy himself was leaning against. The normally-aggressive creature was _truly_ a kind beast when it wanted to be. It was hard to imagine it rampaging through the trees while it was here, quietly resting while allowing other creatures to get as close as they pleased.

This trust was _hardly_ an immediate thing. The hostile, territorial behaviors monsters often presented to others was something _ingrained_ in them, a way they were all able to survive this long. It took time, and effort, and _dedication _to convince the monsters to open their hearts to him. Some had taken several _months_ to befriend, and the War Bison he now rested against had taken almost a _year _to stop huffing and snarling at him whenever he approached.

It was worth it, though, in the end.

A soft meow sounded from the bushes, and Edothise glanced up to see the mother Great Lynx walking close. The kittens quickly scrambled over to their mother, and were still running around her feet as she moved forward and gently placed something in front of the Vessel.

Vines, and flowers, and some small bits of tree bark. Materials he often went out to collect himself, for crafting & upkeep purposes. The monsters seemed to enjoy watching him do so, for some reason.

He picked up the items with a soft smile. "Thank you, friend." He carefully put his free hand out, and the large cat gently nudged it with her head for a moment, before turning around and walking off with her kittens, likely to show them the catch of the eve.

Edothise carefully placed the items into a small bag on his belt, then glanced up at the sky again. "Ah...it's getting late."

Volvin would start worrying if he wasn't back soon.

He sat himself up, prompting the War Bison to stir at the sudden disappearance of the pressure on its side. Edothise stood, then turned around and softly pet the beast's neck. "Be safe, alright?"

It did nothing but huff and lean into the touch a little, but he had spent enough time around this particular War Bison to know that that was its own way of responding.

The Forest Hares simply watched him as he began walking back to the village, and the Trip Mushrooms quickly began jumping and waving at him, which he responded to with a soft chuckle and a wave of his own.

As he walked back, Edothise was _silent_, barring his own footsteps, as he took in the sound of the forest around him. The gentle rustle of the leaves, the wind blowing past his ears, the distant chatter and movement of monsters and ordinary animals alike...it all came together into something the Vessel considered one of the most _beautiful _things he'd ever heard.

Something felt special about this night. About the way the moon's rays shone down upon him, as if calling him somewhere he couldn't simply walk to.

_...something special is going to happen, and soon. I can feel it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> imagine walking through the misty ravine and u turn a corner and just see this 15 y/o vessel just chillin w/ some monsters what u do
> 
> ALSO the guy mentioned here, volvin, is one of my friend sly's characters! we have the idea of edothise and him being like brothers so yeah he's canon here =D
> 
> anyway. i sadly don't have a full picture for edothise, BUT i do have this!
> 
> https://docs.google.com/document/d/10YNPKGsQzGwefTLrGopi6TEqAx903leFTZHmhUT5Od8/edit?usp=sharing
> 
> its an appearance description doc i'm putting together for all my eo stuff, since some characters look different from their ingame portraits, some have slight differences between their character-creator-made pics and my mental image of them, and some just. don't have any proper pictures fbgbdgkf
> 
> edothise is the only one in the curiosity section rn but i'll be adding the rest in due time so look forward to that uwu


End file.
